The Role That Food and Bacteria Play in Generating Abdominal Pain (NCT07688044)
The Role of Gut Microbiota in Patient Responses to a Dietary Therapy for Abdominal Pain
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
Irritable Bowel Syndrom (IBS) affects up to five percent of Canadians and has proven difficult to treat. Our research will explore how a type of dietary carbohydrate, called FODMAPS, contributes to chronic abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). FODMAPs, are poorly digested carbohydrates and removing FODMAPs from the diet relieves abdominal pain in approximately half of IBS patients. Unfortunately, FODMAPs are contained in many foods, which makes it challenging for patients to remain on a low FODMAP diet for extended periods. Our proposed research will identify which subtypes of FODMAPs are most responsible for increasing pain and will tease apart whether the pain-causing effects of FODMAPs rely on the gut microbiota or not. To identify which specific type of FODMAP causes pain, IBS patients will adopt a low FODMAP diet and then individual FODMAP subtypes will be added back to their diet while monitoring changes to their pain. Stool samples will be collected from the participants to determine whether the composition of the gut microbiota or the chemicals that it produces are changed when symptoms are improved or exacerbated by manipulating FODMAP availability. In parallel studies, the microbiota of each IBS patient will be grown in specialized conditions to mimic the environment of the gut. These patient microbial communities will be exposed to the same FODMAP manipulations as the patients themselves experience. This will allow us to test whether the changes in gut microbiota composition and the chemicals produced that occur in IBS patients in response to FODMAP manipulations also occur when only the microbiota is exposed to these manipulations. Together, these studies will aim to optimize a dietary therapy for a common chronic pain condition and will provide novel insights into how diet affects the chemicals the gut microbiota produces that contribute to abdominal pain.
Who can join: Review the eligibility criteria below.
Location: Hotel Dieu Hospital — Kingston, Ontario
Age range: 18 Years to 70 Years
🧪 Interventions in This Study
- FODMAP Challenge (OTHER)
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistFull eligibility criteria are available on the official NIH protocol. View the criteria ↗
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (1 Sites)
- Hotel Dieu Hospital — Kingston, Ontario
📞 Contact the Study Coordinator
Phone: (613) 449-5433
Email: celine.morissette@kingstonhsc.ca
Coordinator details come directly from the registered NIH protocol. Confirm the study is still recruiting before traveling.
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.
More studies in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Herbal Supplement (Biocidin REMOVE) for Bacterial Overgrowth in Irritable Bowel Syndrome — Baltimore, Maryland
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Control Volunteers: Diet Challenge — Los Angeles, California
- Diet and Motility in IBS — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Prospective Observational Study of Naturopathic Approaches to IBS — Portland, Oregon
Explore by condition: All Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) clinical trials
💡 How to Participate
- Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
- Contact the study coordinator using the phone/email above.
- Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
- Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.